| Artist: | David Hockney (British, b. 1937) (1937 - ) |
|---|---|
| Title: | A Picture of Two Chairs, from Moving Focus, 1985 |
| Series: | Moving Focus, 1984 |
| Medium: | Lithograph in colors on TGL handmade paper. |
| Image Size: | 18 3/4 x 22 1/8 in (47.6 x 55.9 cm) |
| Sheet Size: | 18 3/4 x 22 1/8 in (47.6 x 55.9 cm) |
| Edition: | Numbered from the edition of 60 in pencil in the lower left. |
| Signature: | This work is hand signed by David Hockney (Bradford 1937-) in pencil in the lower right. |
| Item # | W-101984 |
David Hockney, A Picture of Two Chairs, from Moving Focus, 1985–86, is one of the most elegant and visually engaging interior studies from David Hockney’s landmark Moving Focus series, produced during one of the most innovative periods of the artist’s career. Focusing on two ordinary pieces of furniture, Hockney transforms a simple studio arrangement into a sophisticated investigation of observation, spatial relationships, color, and perspective.
By the early 1980s, Hockney had become increasingly dissatisfied with the fixed viewpoint of traditional Renaissance perspective. Influenced by Cubism, his photographic “joiners,” and his continued study of how the eye moves through an environment, he developed compositions that allowed several viewpoints to exist within a single image. The Moving Focus series became one of the most important expressions of these ideas, bringing together portraits, interiors, architecture, and still life through constantly shifting perspectives.
Rather than presenting the chairs from one stable position, A Picture of Two Chairs places two contrasting forms within a simplified interior. The chair on the left is rendered primarily in black and white with soft shading and curved contours, while the chair on the right is defined through vivid yellow and expressive red outlines. Lightly drawn walls, floor lines, and angled architectural details create a space that appears both familiar and subtly distorted. The result is unmistakably Hockney: playful, intelligent, balanced, and visually engaging.
Works from Hockney’s 1980s period are among the most sought after and collectible editions of his career. During this important decade, he reconsidered the possibilities of interior representation while simultaneously expanding the technical and conceptual boundaries of printmaking. Collectors value works from the Moving Focus series for their limited production, exceptional craftsmanship, and central importance within Hockney’s investigation of movement and perception.
Produced in collaboration with the legendary master printers at Tyler Graphics, A Picture of Two Chairs combines color lithography and etching on handmade wove paper. The mixture of techniques gives the composition a rich contrast between delicate linear drawing, textured shading, and concentrated areas of color. Published by Tyler Graphics Ltd. with its blindstamp, the full sheet measures approximately 18⅞ by 22⅛ inches. It stands as a refined example of Hockney’s ability to transform a modest everyday subject through sophisticated printmaking.
Museum Collections:
The significance of A Picture of Two Chairs is reflected by its inclusion in the permanent collections of several internationally recognized museums, including:
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
Its presence in these prestigious institutions underscores the importance of both the Moving Focus series and Hockney’s innovative contributions to late twentieth century interior art and printmaking.
This example, numbered from the limited edition of only 60 and hand signed and dated by David Hockney, represents an outstanding opportunity to acquire one of the artist’s most elegant and recognizable print editions. An additional 16 artist’s proofs were produced outside the standard edition. Combining rarity, historical significance, exceptional craftsmanship, and one of the most inventive periods of Hockney’s career, A Picture of Two Chairs is an important work for serious collectors of modern and contemporary art.
David Hockney’s Moving Focus series, created between 1984 and 1986, is one of the most ambitious print projects of his career. Moving beyond traditional fixed perspective, Hockney used shifting viewpoints, fragmented forms, expressive drawing, and vivid color to explore how people experience subjects over time. Featuring portraits, interiors, still lifes, chairs, and views of the Hotel Romano Angeles in Mexico, the series was produced with Kenneth Tyler using innovative combinations of lithography, etching, screenprinting, collage, and handmade papers. Together, the works represent a major achievement in modern printmaking and a powerful exploration of movement, perspective, and memory.
The works in David Hockney’s Moving Focus Series (1984–1986) include: Conversation in the Studio, Tyler Dinning Room, Pembroke Studio Interior, Pembroke Studio with Blue Chairs and Lamp, Two Pembroke Studio Chairs, The Perspective Lesson, Amaryllis in Vase, Red Celia, Celia in Green Hat, Hotel Acatlan: First Day, Hotel Acatlan: Second Day, Hotel Acatlan: Two Weeks Later, Views of Hotel Well I, Views of Hotel Well II, Views of Hotel Well III, Walking Past Two Chairs, An Image of Gregory, An Image of Celia, An Image of Celia, State I, An Image of Celia, State II, An Image of Celia Study, Portrait of Mother I, Portrait of Mother II, Portrait of Mother III, An Image of Ken, White Porcelain, A Picture of Two Chairs, Number One Chair.
Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
David Hockney A Picture of Two Chairs, from Moving Focus, 1985–86 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonné and related texts. Copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the sale of the work.
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, catalogue number 286.
David Hockney (British, b. 1937)A Picture of Two Chairs, from Moving Focus, 1985 |
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| Lithograph in colors on TGL handmade paper. | |
| from the edition of 60 in pencil in the lower left. | |
| hand signed by David Hockney (Bradford 1937-) in pencil in the lower right. | |
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